Terra Rosa Tyvek Wandering Tarp

I’ve been having lot of fun lately discovering affordable lightweight backpacking products that won’t break the bank. Here’s another fantastic find from Australian Terra Rosa Gear, called the Wandering Tarp (8.3 ounces in Tyvek), which is priced at $50 AUD ($52 USD) in Tyvek and $75 AUD ($ 78 USD) in silnylon. I got the flat edge version (show above), but this tarp is also available in a catenary cut for the same price.

Whelen “Inspired” Tarp Pitch

The Tyvek used in this tarp have a very soft hand and feels a lot more like fabric than your typical house wrap. It’s made using a grade of Tyvek called Soft Structure Stle 1443r which is 100% recyclable and waterproof. This grade of Tvvek is also breathable and is used by Terra Rosa in a low cost sleeping bag / quilt cover, which is a nice companion piece to this tarp.

The dimensions of the Wandering Tarp are 118 inches x 57 inches (3 meters x 1.45 meters) giving it a rectangular shape which is suitable for a variety of ground pitches as well as in an A frame shape over a hammock. The fabric of the tarp is cut in one continuous piece, so there is no ridgeline to seal. It has 8 tie outs total: the 4 corners and the 4 more at the half way point of the long and short sides.

Cuben Reinforced Tie-outs

Structurally, each tie-out has a plastic grommets and is reinforced with cuben fiber fabric for extra strength. I’ve never seen cuben used this way, but it certainly makes a lot of sense since cuben fiber is so difficult to tear.

Front View

I really like this tarp and think it provides a very affordable way for backpackers or scouts to try out ultralight tarp camping. If you’re on a market for a good value, make sure to visit Terra Rosa Gear and check out their other tarp styles and products.

It probably does eric. All of my tarp pitches tend to be very open, so I never get condensation, but tarptent makes the Sublite tent out of tyvek (not sure which grade). Of course your best defense against condensation is always ventilation.

The Sublight tent is a one person tent by Tarptent made of a very soft and supple Tyvek. My grandson and I use the tent together so we probably load it up with condensation potential, however, I haven't noticed any in the tent.

The Tarptent Sublight, like my Tarptent Double Rainbow, has very good ventilation, since there's several inches of mosquito netting between the bathtub floor and the top cover. When there's lots of wind, sometimes I wish there was less ventilation, although I'm learning the nuances of pitching those tents better in windy, wet, and cold conditions. The Sublight also has a beak vent.

My only real worry about the Sublight has been durability in tough conditions (only because I tore the Tyvek bag for the tent when trying to shove it all back in). Now, I keep it in one of those Walmart stuff sacks. The Sublight got a good workout last December 31 and January 1 as my grandson and I camped at the top of Pinnacles Pass and South Rim in Big Bend National Park in continuous 40-60 MPH winds. I thought the wind might tear the tent apart but it wasn't damaged at all, although the wind shredded my Gossamer Gear Polycryo ground cloth. The Polycryo is cheap and I have extras so that wasn't any big deal.

My only knock on the Sublight is that there is no hook or loop on the inside top of the tent to hang a small LED light. I might experiment with gluing something up there. The Double Rainbow has hooks for attaching the liner and I ran a piece of cord across two of them to hang a light, wet socks, etc. I'm sure the aroma of the socks also works as bear repellent–it does the job quite well on hikers!

I am happy to see you reviewing affordable gear. I have been using a LL Bean Primaloft packable jacket for several years. They currently are carring a pullover @ $99.00 and a hooded full zippered model @ $129.00 and both are available in tall size.

I am really interested in the Tarp tens that I have seen on this site. Being from NH I want to back pack in the early spring but don’t want to deal with blackflies while I am sleeping. I take it you do not use your tarp set up during these times?

Nope – I do. I just use a bivy sack with them that has face netting and keeps the bugs off me at night. Look at my review of the Mountain Laurel Designs Superlight Bivy sack. I use it all the time from April through October/November in shelters and under tarps in New England.